Lindsay Lohan is back in her element in Netflix’s newest Christmas rom-com “Our Little Secret.” While it lives up to viewer expectations with the obligatory tropes, the movie brings an emotional depth, and a surprising amount of heart, with lots of fun and drama to keep viewers entertained.
Avery (Lohan) and Logan (Ian Harding) have known each other since childhood, and their friendship blossomed over the years into love. After losing her mother to illness, Avery decides to take a job offer in England, much to Logan’s dismay. Afraid of losing Avery, Logan proposes in front of the guests at her farewell party. She promptly rejects him and ends their relationship.
Fast forward ten years later, and both Avery and Logan have moved on and are seeing other people. But it just so happens that Avery’s boyfriend Cam (Jon Rudnitsky) and Logan’s girlfriend Cassie (Katie Baker) are siblings. Avery and Logan discover this at their partners’ family Christmas gathering, where Avery pretends never to have met Logan. She then convinces Logan to keep their history a secret since she doesn’t want the gathering to be awkward and to make a good impression on Cam’s judgemental mother, Erica (Kristin Chenoweth). This is the first of many secrets that are kept and unraveled throughout the course of the movie, and shenanigans ensue as Avery struggles to win Erica’s approval.
While the movie struggles to find its footing in some moments, with clichéd dialogue and conflict spattered throughout its plot, Lohan shines as both a comedic and emotional actress. She does a great job at leaning into awkwardness as the secrets she keeps continue to build up and threaten to be exposed at her significant other’s family gathering.
Avery is a character that is eager to please and unsure of how to navigate all of these difficult moments, but is still a strong woman in her own right. The entire movie leans into the awkwardness of things being left unsaid, playing up the dynamic of how secrets can create tension and unwanted (and sometimes cringey) outcomes.
Since Logan and Avery are longtime friends before they start dating, there are plenty of great moments between Lohan and Harding’s characters. The movie explores the dynamics of their friendship and how they both show up for each other instead of only focusing on their previous romantic relationship, which was refreshing to see. The scene where Avery expresses grief at the loss of her mom and Logan comforts her is one of the film’s most tender moments.
Overall, “Our Little Secret” is a highly entertaining Christmas rom-com to watch this holiday season. Is it predictable? Sure. But at least it has heart and laughs that make it a great comfort watch while you’re snuggled on the couch with a hot chocolate in hand.